Factors associated with mortality in hospitalized cardiovascular disease patients infected with COVID-19.

Introduction: To reduce mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease (CVD), it is necessary to understand the relationship between patient's symptoms, risk factors, and comorbidities with their mortality rate. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first which take into account the determinants like risk factors, symptoms, and comorbidities leading to mortality in CVD patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Methods: This study was conducted on 660 hospitalized patients with CVD and COVID-19 recruited between January 2020 and January 2021 in Iran.

Compliance of imipenem and meropenem administration with the national antimicrobial stewardship program in a referral teaching hospital in Iran.

Introduction: Considering the great significance of antimicrobial resistance, implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in healthcare facilities is of particular importance. This study aimed to evaluate the compliance of imipenem and meropenem administration with the ASP guidelines in a referral teaching hospital in Iran.

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the medical records of patients, who received either imipenem or meropenem at xx Hospital in Semnan, Iran, from 21 March 2017 until 20 March 2019, were reviewed using the developed ASP, according to the instructions issued by the Ministry of Health of Iran.

Effects of cigarette smoking on morphological features of platelets in healthy men.

Objectives: To assess the effects of cigarette smoking on thrombocytopoiesis and some platelet morphological parameters in healthy male smokers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 542 consecutive healthy men (aged 20 to 88 years), referred to the laboratory of Fatemieh Hospital, Semnan, Iran, between November 2011 and November 2012 for checking up were enrolled. The subjects were divided into 2 groups of smokers (n=258 with frequency of 10 or more cigarette per day with more than 12 months duration of smoking) and non-smokers (n=284).

Colorectal stenting for management of acute malignant bowel obstruction in advanced colorectal cancer in Iran.

Introduction: Enteral stenting is used increasingly as a palliative treatment of gastrointestinal malignant or non-malignant obstructions. This aim of this study was to evaluate the role of endoscopic stent implantation for palliation of acute colorectal cancer obstruction in critical patients.

Methods: This study was performed prospectively with 8 patients suffering clinical manifestations of acute bowel obstruction with severe co-morbid diseases that caused them to be inoperable.

Opium addiction as a new risk factor of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Background: Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) refers to an abnormality of SO contractility. It is a benign, non-calculus obstruction to the flow of bile or pancreatic juice through the pancreaticobiliary junction. Although morphine can cause an excitatory effect on SO motility, there are no comprehensive data about opium as a risk factor in inducing SOD in chronic opium abusers.

Combination of thrombolytic therapy and angioplastic stent insertion in a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome.

A 31-year-old female who had well-established polycythemia vera one year before, presented with the sudden onset. She had severe ascites and hepatic encephalopathy 12 d prior to admission. Real-time ultrasonography revealed a supra hepatic thrombosis extending toward the inferior vena cava (lVC).

Role of clinical presentation in diagnosing reflux-related non-cardiac chest pain.

Introduction: Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) presents as a frequent diagnostic challenge, with patients tending to use a disproportionate level of health-care resources. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most frequent cause of NCCP. Thus the typical symptoms of reflux, such as heartburn and regurgitation, when present as predominant symptoms are quite specific for diagnosing GERD but in patients with NCCP the clinical diagnosis of reflux is difficult, and invasive methods or the omeprazole test are required for its detection.

Azithromycin in one week quadruple therapy for H pylori eradication in Iran.

Aim: To investigate eradication rates, patient compliance and tolerability of a 1-wk Azithromycin-based quadruple therapy versus the 2-wk conventional therapy.

Methods: A total of 129 H pylori-positive patients were randomized to either omeprazole 20 mg, bismuth subcitrate 240 mg, azithromycin 250 mg, and metronidazole 500 mg, all twice daily for 1-wk (B-OAzM) or omeprazole 20 mg, bismuth subcitrate 240 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, and metronidazole 500 mg all twice daily for 2-wk (B-OAM). H pylori infection was defined at entry by histology and rapid urease test and cure of infection was determined by negative urea breath test.